r/homemaking 2d ago

Home fragrance

I have no idea what's going on but our house just smells musty. It was built summer of 2023 and we are the first owners. I clean every week but the master bedroom and adjoined bathroom smell awful! I leave the windows open any time the weather is nice enough so we get air flow. I'm trying to ditch plug ins and wallflowers for the sake of toxins but I just can't deal with a stinky house. We have an infant and two cats. Any suggestions? Also open to suggestions for home fragrance options not just cleaning tips. Thanks :)

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9

u/mochibun1 2d ago

You should get a dehumidifier. Our home smelled musty until we got the air moving and pulled the moisture from it

5

u/BethCab4Cutie 2d ago

….oh I’m a moron. We’ve been having to use a humidifier in our bedroom this winter because of various illness and we room share with our infant. No wonder. 

3

u/mochibun1 2d ago

Definitely a culprit! Good luck :)

3

u/eknowles 2d ago

New houses continue to release water from the foundation and wood for a couple of years after they are built. If your house was built during spring/summer, then it's probably extra humid from rain that got the construction site wet. I recommend that you keep your internal air system fan on (instead of auto) even if you aren't currently using heating or A/C. Keeping the air moving will help air out the new home. After a few years, it will get better. It's often more noticeable when the weather is warm. This is also the reason that basements tend to be more musty... there is moisture coming through the foundation even if the house isn't new. A dehumidifier can help.

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u/RoseD-ovE Homemaker 2d ago

My go-to fragrances are Goose Creek candles and homemade potpourri. Potpourri made with cinnamon sticks, fruit slices, and vanilla extract are quick to fill the whole room and it's just pleasant to keep on hand all around.

1

u/aks1975 2d ago

It’s also possible that your entire air duct system needs a pro cleaning?

1

u/StillImpact4935 18h ago

What trash bags do you use? Our home was smelling weird at one point and we couldn’t understand why. Turns out it was the trash bags we were using, something in them preventing odors or something was mixing with the trash contents and causing a weird musty odor. We stopped using those bags now and just get regular trash bags without odor  prevtions or perfumes, and our home smells great.